Wire stretcher and splicer



Sept. 20, 1938.

w. J. ALEXANDER 2,130,477 WIRE STRETCHER AND SPLICER Filed June 7, 1937ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNlTED STATEfi PATENT OFFIE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to wire stretchers and splicers, and has for anobject to provide a wire stretcher and splicer capable of use with allkinds of wire including barbed wire, in stretching and holding the wiretaut and splicing the adjacent ends in an easy and expeditious manner,and with very little effort.

A further object of this invention is to provide a wire stretcher andsplicer that is light in weight, yet is strong and sturdy, is simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely efficient in useand service.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a wire stretcherwhich is operated by both hands, one hand holding the body of thestretcher, by means of a handle and the other hand operating a crank totighten the wire so there is no danger of the wire stripping off thestretcher and injuring either hand, particularly in the case of barbedwire.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprisesthe combination, construction and arrangement of parts set forth,disclosed, and claimed in the following specification, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like referencenumerals denote corresponding parts.

In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wire stretcher and splicer inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional view of the stretcher and splicer after thestretching operation has been completed and the splice is in the processof completion, and

Fig. 4 is a view showing the completed splice.

The wire stretcher and splicer I0 of this invention includes a pair ofside walls H and I2 shaped substantially as shown and bent toward eachother as at I3 Where they are joined to one end of the opposite sidewalls of an inverted channel member 14 having a hook I5 secured adjacentto its opposite end and opening laterally as at I6.

The outer end of the parallel side walls H and I2 are joined together bya plate ll from which extends a pair of prongs l8 bent upwardly to forma loop receiving hook I9. A loop 20 formed on one of the ends of thewire 2| is to be placed over the hook l9 and then the wire is extendedrearwardly therefrom, for disposal between the side walls II and I2 andthrough the inverted channel M, to be held removably in position by thehook I5. The prongs 18 provide a recess 22, through which the other wire23 extends and which may be temporarily held after it has been stretchedand bent, in order to form the second loop.

After the loop 20 has been put in position, the second wire 23 isthreaded through the loop 20 5 and beneath a wire guide 24 having aV-shaped rear end receiving the wire 23 which is then extended through adiametrical opening 25 in a shaft 26 journalled between the side wallsII and I2, the shaft 26 having a ratchet wheel 27 10 and a crank handle28 secured to one side thereof. A pawl 29 is pivoted to the wall l2 asat 3!, to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 21 and is heldaccordingly by a spring 30 to prevent reverse rotation of the shaft 26.15

A pawl releasing member 32 may be secured in the side wall I2 forholding the pawl 29 in released position to permit the crank handle 28to be rotated in a reverse direction to release the wire from the shaft26. A handle 33 is secured 20 to the side wall II so that the wirestretcher and splicer Ill may be conveniently held in the left handwhile the right hand rotates the crank handle 28 to tighten the wire 23,

When the wires 2! and 23 have been drawn 25 sufficiently taut, thestretcher and splicer I0 is raised to a angle with respect to the wires,as shown in Figure 3. As this happens, the wire 21 is released from thehook 15 through the opening 5. The stretcher and splicer Ill is then 30turned to a position parallel to the wire 23, thereby releasing the loop20 from the hook Hi. The stretcher and splicer I0 is then rotated at a90 angle about the wire 23 so as to coil the same about itself tocomplete the loop 34 and 5 the splice as shown in Fig. 4. The ratchetwheel 2'! meantime has been released to permit the shaft to reverse andthereby release the end of the wire 23 from the shaft.

The novel features and the operation of this 40 device will be apparentfrom the foregoing description. While the device has been shown and thestructure described in detail, it is obvious that this invention is notto be considered limited to the exact form disclosed, and that 45changes may be made therein within the scope of What is claimed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is: 50

1. A combination wire stretcher and splicer comprising a frame, formedfrom a pair of spaced parallel side walls, an inverted channel memberfixed to and securing said side walls together at one end, a hook membersecured to the outer 55 end of said channel member, a plate bridging andsecured to the outer ends of said side walls, a pair of prongs extendingforwardly from said plate and inclined upwardly to provide a hook forreceiving a splicing loop on one wire, said prongs forming a recesstherebetween to provide a notch to receive the other wire therein, informing a splicing loop thereon, and a shaft journaled between said sidewalls and having means to receive and secure the last mentioned wirethereto, means to rotate said shaft to tighten said wires, and means toreleasably hold the shaft against rotation.

2. A combination wire stretcher and splicer comprising a frame, formedfrom a pair of spaced parallel side walls, an inverted channel memberfixed to and securing said side walls together at one end, a hook membersecured to the outer end of said channel member, a plate bridging andsecured to'the outer ends of said side walls, a pair of prongs extendingforwardly from said plate and inclined upwardly to provide a hook forreceiving a splicing loop on one wire, said prongs forming a recesstherebetween to provide a notch to receive the other wire therein informing a splicing loop thereon, a shaft journaled between said sidewalls and having an end extending through one of said walls, a crankhandle and a ratchet wheel secured to the extending end of said shaft,and a releasable pawl engaged with said ratchet wheel for holding theshaft against rotation in one direction.

3. A combination wire stretcher and splicer comprising a pair ofparallel side walls secured together at their ends, a rotatable shaftjournaled between said side walls, a crank handle for rotating saidshaft, a ratchet member secured to said shaft, a releasable pawlcooperating with said ratchet member to hold said shaft against rotationin one direction, said shaft having a wire receiving and securingopening extending therethrough, an inverted wire guiding channel membersecured to one end of said parallel side walls, a hook member secured tothe other end of said side walls to receive a loop in one wire, aV-shaped wire guide secured beneath said hook member to receive andguide a second wire to be threaded through the loop and through theopening of the shaft, so as to be tightened upon rotation of said shaft.

4. A combination wire stretcher and splicer comprising a pair ofparallel side walls secured together at their ends, a rotatable shaftjournaled between said side walls, a crank handle for rotating saidshaft, a ratchet member secured to said shaft, a releasable pawlcooperating with said ratchet member to hold said shaft against rotationin one direction, said shaft having a wire receiving and securingopening extending therethrough, an inverted wire guiding channel membersecured to one end of said parallel side walls, a hook member secured tothe other end of said side Walls to receive a loop in one wire, a wireguide secured beneath said hook member and having a V-shape rear end toreceive and guide a second wire to be threaded through the loop andthrough the opening of the shaft to be tightened by the rotation of saidshaft, means to hold the pawl in released position, and a handle membersecured to one of said side walls.

WILLIAM J. ALEXANDER.

